Independence Day Reminds Us That We Need To Protect Our Freedoms
Posted: 07-02-11Category:
As we celebrate our July 4th Independence Day Holiday, let's remember some of the reasons we declared our independence and the hard fought freedoms we ultimately won in our protracted struggle to form a new nation. Among these are freedom of religion, free speech, freedom of the press, the right to freely assemble and petition the Government, the right to be free from unreasonable searches and seizures, free and open courts, and the right which Thomas Jefferson considered to be most important, the right to jury trials.
As Jefferson so elegantly explained: “I consider trial by jury as the only anchor yet devised by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of its constitution.” Recently, an unholy trinity of misguided "tort reformers", high paid corporate lobbyists, and radical appellate judges have attempted to erode the role of the jury in our American justice system, particularly in Texas. So as we celebrate this July 4th Holiday, let's remember that the role of the jury in our society is worth protecting, and worth fighting to keep.
Happy Independence Day!